Urial wild sheep (Ovis musimon)

Four sub species of the European mouflon occur in Pakistan three of which, thanks to extensive protection measures, can now be hunted legally and trophies exported to the foreign hunter’s home countries covered under the CITES agreement. The three are:

The Blandford Urial (Ovis vignei blanfordi), the Afghan urial (Ovis v. cycloderos) as well as the Punjab urial (Ovis v. punjabiensis). The Blanford urial occurs in protected areas only 3 hours car drive from Karachi. It may be hunted during the same hunts as for the Bezoar. Five hunting days are required and horn sizes of 25 to 30 inches may be obtained.

The Afghan Urial is widely distributed from Belutshistan to Usbekistan. The hunts take place in Belutshistan and are organized from Islamabad and the area reached via a local flight. The Afghan urial at times shares the same habitat as the Suleiman markhor so both species could be hunted on the same hunting trip.

The Punjab Urial derives its name from the Punjab province where it can be found in the lower mountain ranges and at times shares its habitat with wild boar. Hunting is possible in the salt ranges as well as in the well known private game protection areas of the Nawab of Kalabagh on the Indus. Both hunting areas are 4 hours by car from Islamabad. Five hunting days are required.

The Ladakh Urial (Ovis vignei vignei ) is still off limits to the sports hunter. It ranges from India, China, and Kashmir to the Shimshal area of Pakistan with a small population in Hunza. The Protection measures are effective and showing an increase in the population and so it can be expected that in a few years down the road some licenses may be issued.